1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a future bus electrical connector, and more particularly to a header connector portion of a future bus having compliant pins securely retained therein which do not cause a deformation along a longitudinal direction of the header.
2. The Prior Art
Communication systems commonly consist of a variety of electrical components which transmit and receive information at high speeds. Electrical connectors which facilitate high frequency signal transmission are, thus, required to interconnect the components of the system. A future bus electrical connector, which is effective in applications requiring high frequency signal transmission, is commonly used in communication systems for connecting an electrical card to a printed circuit board.
The future bus consists of a header connector portion electrically connected with and securely mounted on the PCB, and a receptacle connector portion received in the header and electrically engaged therewith. The card is electrically engaged with the receptacle and retained thereto, thus, the card is electrically connected to the PCB by means of the future bus. Such a future bus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,084.
An insulative housing of the header receives a plurality of compliant pins in passageways defined through a base thereof, respectively. The pins are received in corresponding holes defined in the PCB at one end and engage with conductive contacts of the receptacle at the other end. The pins are retained within the housing by means of a retention mechanism formed on a central portion of each pin for interferential engagement with inner walls of the corresponding passageway. The retention mechanism commonly consists of barbs protruding from opposite sides of each pin, whereby an interference area between the barbs and the inner walls of the corresponding passageways is established along a longitudinal direction of the housing.
However, the interference area is insufficient to securely retain the pins therein. In addition, the force of the barbs acting on the inner walls of each passageway results in a deformation of the housing along the longitudinal direction thereof which alters the pitch of the pins thereby adversely affecting insertion of the pins into holes defined in the PCB due to the discrepancy of pitch therebetween.
Consequently, the pins positioned near lengthwise ends of a housing of extended length are affected by this lengthwise deviation more than others, and may become damaged while being inserted into the corresponding holes of the PCB. Thus, to use a plurality of conventional future bus connectors of reduced length commonly used in succession, may be deemed a possible approach to avoid excessive accumulated deviation of the housing along the lengthwise direction and the associated damage to the pins.
Therefore, an improved header connector and compliant pins for a future bus are required having an improved retention mechanism for retaining the pins within an insulative housing of the header which will not cause an accumulated deformation along a longitudinal direction of the housing.